Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach Reveals Changes Coming to Blue-White Scrimmage

Published

2 years ago

September 22, 2024

Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach Reveals Changes Coming to Blue-White Scrimmage

The 2024-25 college basketball season is the start of a new era for the Kentucky Wildcats. Mark Pope, an alum of the program and former head coach of the BYU Cougars is taking over the same position for John Calipari.

After 15 seasons with the Wildcats, he has taken over the head coaching position with their SEC rivals, the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Naturally, things will look a lot different with Pope leading the show than it has been in recent history under Calipari. Things will be getting started in just about a month with the team’s Blue-White scrimmage.

It is an event that Pope is excited to be a part of again.

“Yeah, I’m so excited about this,” Pope said during a recent appearance on Kentucky Sports Radio last week. “This is just our regularly scheduled practice. It’s going to be – what’s going to happen is we’re going to scrimmage. Like, we’re going to live scrimmage. In fact, I think it’s going to be the first time the public will be able to see us live scrimmage for a full game where BBN will be able to see that. It’s going to be really exciting.

“We’re going to compete,” Pope continued. “Like, it’s going to be game-speed, full-intensity kind of pride, guts, blood and sweat on the floor scrimmage where our guys are trying to prove themselves. Like, we have a lot of guys who are going to be trying to earn time, earn positions, learn how to play with each other.”

Going all-out in that fashion for a team scrimmage is going to give fans a first-hand look at the revamped squad. Nine players are not returning to the team from last season, whether it be graduation, heading to the NBA or transferring.

At least 12 new players are on the roster as Pope got to work in the transfer portal. Some of his biggest additions are Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Koby Brea and Kerr Kriisa.

In a unique twist to the long-standing scrimmage, the players are going to benefit greatly. Club Blue, the NIL collective at the school, will take proceeds from the Blue-White game to benefit it. Also, the event will be held inside the newly-renovated Memorial Coliseum,an on-campus arena.

“Club Blue is just taking this normal practice and they’ve turned it into this incredible event,” Pope said. “I think it’s going to be pretty epic. I’m really excited about all the things that we’re hearing that Club Blue is going to do around this.

“Club Blue is a linchpin organization in the future of Kentucky Basketball. Like, in this new environment, what Club Blue is doing to allow us to compete? I cannot overstate its importance,” Pope continued. “It’s quintessentially important to everything we’re doing. So the fact that we get to partner with them on this? They’re building this incredible event around our practice that’s going to be super cool.”

Freshening up Big Blue Madness is something that fans have been looking for in recent years. The changes that Pope has talked about is just the start of that process.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear criticizes Gaza ‘genocide’ discourse | The Jerusalem Post

Published

12 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear criticizes Gaza ‘genocide’ discourse | The Jerusalem Post

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declined to label Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” in an interview with Politico published Sunday, instead critiquing the question as a litmus test among Democrats.

“That’s becoming one of those new litmus tests that we said we would never do as a party again,” Beshear told Politico’s Dasha Burns after being asked if he agreed with the label. “It’s trying to throw out a word and, ‘Are you going to raise your hand or are you not going to?’”

Beshear is the Democratic governor of a solidly red state and a potential 2028 presidential contender. His remarks come as Democratic candidates increasingly grapple with their stances on Israel amid record-low support for Israel among their base.

While several lawmakers, including Vermont’s Jewish Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, have called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide,” the label has not gained mainstream support in the Democratic Party. Last October, former Vice President Kamala Harris declined to use the “genocide” label, which Israel had long rejected, but said, “We should all step back and ask this question and be honest about it.”

Some Democrats have embraced the question, with a New York congressional candidate telling the leftist streamer Hasan Piker this week that she is “100%” comfortable with the issue serving as a litmus test in her party.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear visits ”The Sunday Briefing” with Peter Doocy at FOX News D.C. Bureau on February 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (credit: PAUL MORIGI/GETTY IMAGES)

Others have acted as though the litmus test is already in place. In January, for example, California congressional candidate Scott Wiener announced that he believes Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide after drawing scrutiny for declining to answer the question during a debate.

Beshear critiques Trump, Netanyahu

While Beshear told Burns that Israel “has the right to exist as a democratic country, as a Jewish country,” he added that his feelings about President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct during the war in Gaza and ongoing war in Iran were “a different thing.”

“I believe the United States needs a strong Israel, but not one with decisions being made in the way that Netanyahu is making them,” Beshear said.

Beshear also critiqued President Donald Trump’s response to the crisis in Gaza.

“I believe that it could have been done without a lot of the suffering, but I put a lot of that blame also on Donald Trump,” he said. “If he’d said we are coming in and we are bringing food and aid and you are going to make sure that we’re safe, it would’ve happened.”

Last week, a spokesperson for Beshear told Politico that “AIPAC has never contributed to Governor Beshear and they’re never going to – ever,” a response that dovetailed with a host of other potential Democratic presidential candidates, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who are increasingly distancing themselves from the pro-Israel lobby.

“I think that’s up to each and every Democrat,” Beshear answered when asked whether he thought his fellow Democrats should take money from AIPAC.

“In the end, I think people need to be clear about their stance on these issues,” Beshear said. “And for me, it’s one where I believe that we need a future with an ally in Israel. But we need decision makers there that are not acting the way that Netanyahu is, and we need a president that will push when we are seeing humanitarian crises to actually do something about it.”

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Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats News: McDonald’s All-American Gameday

Published

24 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Wildcats News: McDonald’s All-American Gameday

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: MAR 27 McDonald’s All American

GLENDALE, AZ – MARCH 27: McDonalds High School All American forward Tyran Stokes (4) poses for a photo on portrait day for the 2026 McDonalds High School All American Games on March 27, 2026, at Renaissance Hotel at Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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Kentucky

Mark Pope must land this Kentucky native in the transfer portal who shoots 47% from three

Published

2 days ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Mark Pope must land this Kentucky native in the transfer portal who shoots 47% from three

A massive addition to the transfer portal just happened as former Liberty guard Brett Decker Jr. announced that he plans to hit the portal when it opens on April 7th. This should immediately catch the eye of Mark Pope, as Decker Jr. is a Kentucky native from Elizabethtown.

This season for the Flames of Liberty, Decker Jr. averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting 49.9% from the field and 47.1% from three. Decker Jr. will more than likely end up being the best three-point shooter in the transfer portal, so knowing this, plus the fact that he is a Kentucky native, Coach Pope needs to do everything in his power to land Decker Jr.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to a play during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Last season, the Wildcats didn’t have that much three-point shooting outside of Collin Chandler. Otega Oweh, Denzel Aberdeen, and Kam Williams all were solid shooting the three ball, but Chandler was the only player fans could rely on to make one from deep.

When Pope doesn’t have a lot of players who are capable of making threes, his offense isn’t going to be that good, and this is why the Wildcats had a rough season last year. Coach Pope needs to learn from this mistake and make sure that he adds a bunch of players via the portal who can fill it up from deep. Obviously, Decker Jr. is a player who makes a ton of sense for this staff to target to come in and play the Koby Brea role.

If Decker Jr. does pick Kentucky, he could come off the bench as a flamethrower from deep, and in the games where he just can’t seem to miss, Pope won’t take him off the floor. When it comes to the other backcourt members Pope recruits, he will need guys who can score all over the floor, while Decker Jr. could just be the shooter for this team.

Nevada guard Vaughn Weems (7) drives past Liberty guard Brett Decker Jr. (4) during the first half of a basketball game against Liberty during the Second Round of the National Invitation Tournament played at Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nev., Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Tom R. Smedes/Special to RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Decker Jr. is only a sophomore, so if Kentucky were to land him, he could develop the rest of his game and be one of the better players in the nation during his final two seasons of college hoops. Pope needs players who are going to be knockdown shooters from deep, and a good start would be to land the best shooter in the portal.

If Kentucky is able to land Decker Jr., Pope will still need to go out and get some more players who can be reliable from three, but he would be an excellent start. Coach Pope needs to do everything in his power to bring the Kentucky kid home.

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